Food Energy Profiles
The Energy Profile is based on the UK Government Dietary Reference Values 1991. Energy Profiles use recommended energy percentages to assess the energy-nutrient profile of a meal or snack and to demonstrate the changes in energy-nutrient profile that accompany different food combinations.
Energy percentage guidelines:
Fat max 35%, sat fat max 10%
Carbs min 50%, sugar max 10%
Protein min 15%
The energy percentage is obtained through the following calculation (for each macronutrient – fat, carb and protein):
Cals per gram (protein and carb = 4; fat = 9) x gram weight / Total Cals x 100
Energy percentages can be used to compare individual foods. This approach can then be extended to the comparison of processed and branded food products. Processed food products on the market vary in their fat, protein and carbohydrate content, and different brands of the same product can also vary in fat, carbohydrate and protein content. Calculating the Energy profile makes it easier to select healthier products:
| DRV | Pasty | Sausage | Pizza | Vegeburger | |
| Sat fat | 10 | 19 | 28 | 16 | 9 |
| Non-sat fat | 25 | 38 | 47 | 20 | 22 |
| Sugars | 10 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Non-sugar carb | 40 | 34 | 6 | 40 | 46 |
| Protein | 15 | 8 | 16 | 21 | 14 |
But foods are rarely eaten on their own. Rather than focusing on the consumption of individual foods, Energy Profiles can be calculated for foods that are combined. Energy percentages are especially useful for assessing total Energy Profile of a meal or snack. By changing food items, the Energy Profile of the whole meal or snack can change.
a = Sausage + slice of bread;
b = Sausage, bread + beans;
c = Sausage, bread + chunk of fresh pepper;
d = Beans + bread;
e = Beans, bread + pepper
| DRV | a | b | c | d | e | |
| Fat | 35 | 53 | 42 | 52 | 6 | 7 |
| Carbohydrate | 50 | 31 | 40 | 32 | 73 | 72 |
| Protein | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 21 |
